Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $490 in Sheikh Zayed.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $782 in Sheikh Zayed.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,075 in Sheikh Zayed.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 368% more expensive than in Sheikh Zayed, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sheikh Zayed is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.58 E£183

352.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$15.97 E£815

296.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$3.99 E£204

158.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.44 E£73.5

96.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.01

$0.31 E£15.87

638.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.10 E£5.21

1480.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.18 E£60.1

188.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.04 E£155

32.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.79 E£40.48

37.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.78 E£39.72

124.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.65 E£33.19

170.77%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.38 E£70.4

129.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$3.88 E£198

239.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.36 E£222

82.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$9.28 E£474

67.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.41 E£71.9

68.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.51 E£26.13

235.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.40 E£20.28

402.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.37 E£18.66

556.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.41 E£20.86

329.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.38 E£19.54

434.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.24 E£12.25

700.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.17 E£8.63

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.64 E£83.5

301.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.08 E£310

-8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.36 E£69.2

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.62 E£134

13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.25 E£12.81

812.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.53 E£26.96

698.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.45 E£23.03

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$1.95 E£99.6

845.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.31 E£15.63

570.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.7K €30.4K

$35.5K E£1.8M

-2.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.2K €34.3K

$32.7K E£1.7M

19.91%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €130

$11.43 E£584

1195.28%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.46 €17.92

$5.63 E£287

263.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$10.06 E£513

293.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$39.14 E£1,998

22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$10.06 E£513

84.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$2.89 E£147

219.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$616 €540

$87.5 E£4,464

604.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,832 E£93.5K

797.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$27.62 E£1,410

271.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$49.36 E£2,520

-15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$109 E£5,549

-12.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$50.8 E£2,591

140.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$193 E£9,856

745.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$97.9 E£5,000

1158.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$441 E£22.5K

601.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$178 E£9,081

1041.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,113 E£56.8K

603.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$605 E£30.9K

625.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$139 E£7,070

1060.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-77.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $193 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1060% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Sheikh Zayed for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $128 per month, with Sheikh Zayed cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Sheikh Zayed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed differ by about 368% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $490 including rent). Sheikh Zayed is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1060% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $193 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $490 in Sheikh Zayed – a 368% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $490 in Sheikh Zayed versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sheikh Zayed but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sheikh Zayed the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sheikh Zayed are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sheikh Zayed gentler on the wallet – expenses run 368% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.